Annual Meeting and the Power of the Bar

Posted September 18, 2014

This past Friday, the BBA held its Annual Meeting Luncheon, the first major event of the program year and my first major event as President of the BBA. It was a truly spectacular experience to stand on that stage and look out at nearly 1,200 members of the legal community – attorneys, esteemed judges, government representatives, and many more – who had gathered in force to honor the BBA Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts and former BBA President Ed Barshak.

The opportunity to personally present these awards reminded me exactly why we were all there: to express our gratitude to those who have worked and are still working to substantively change the legal community, and Boston, for the better. We are lucky to have leaders with the vision and passion to start initiatives that produce meaningful, tangible results, from Ed Barshak’s Committee on School Desegregation to the imminent report of the Task Force, which I believe will change the debate on the value of legal services. They truly represent the power of the bar to make a difference, which struck me profoundly on Friday. That power resides not only in the incredible work of our honorees, but also in the support and mobilization of the legal community around a variety of issues that are critically important to our community.

BBA Past President J.D. Smeallie and his Task Force have made incredible strides over the last year in exploring the issue of civil legal aid, working across all branches of government and with pro bono independent economic experts. We are awaiting their findings, but we expect they will help us make the case that civil legal aid constitutes a benefit to society rather than a cost, as every dollar invested in such aid results in a savings of two to five dollars to the Commonwealth and its residents. As President of the BBA, J.D. Smeallie led the charge to work on this issue; the enthusiastic support and determined research of representatives from across the legal system and across Massachusetts have made the report a reality.

Likewise, Ed Barshak is a true leader who exhibits great wisdom, humility, and compassion. When the City of Boston faced a major challenge in the 1970s, he was not afraid to act, and his guidance brought the BBA more fully to the forefront of the Boston community as a reputable and respected voice of reason. As he organized a committee to study the legal case and resulting school desegregation plan in Boston, Ed knew what everyone who has held a leadership position at the BBA knows: that despite all of our members being busy professionals, volunteers will always step forward when the need arises.

This is what makes us great, as an organization and as a community, and why it was doubly meaningful to see and meet with so many attendees at our sold-out Annual Meeting Luncheon. The event symbolizes the start of a new program year, and to have nearly 1,200 members of the legal community present to welcome each other, share ideas, offer standing ovations to our honorees, and generally show their support for the continued improvement of the profession, and our society as a whole, was inspiring.

When we talk about the power of the bar and our ability to effect substantive change in our community, we rightly think of leaders like Ed Barshak, J.D. Smeallie, and the members of his Task Force. But even the BBA itself – an organization that has prospered over the past 300 years due to the steady commitment of volunteers, who give their time simply because they believe in these causes and find fulfillment in working on them – showcases the true power of the bar: not just strength in numbers, but strength in our conviction, passion, and drive to support great work.

I would like to thank our honorees again for their work to improve our community, as well as New York Times reporter Adam Liptak for his heartfelt speech about his late friend and former colleague Tony Lewis and what “freedom of the press” truly means. I must also thank all who attended Annual Meeting – and all our members who find the time, year in and year out, to bolster the power of the bar for the benefit of all. If Friday was any indication of what is to come, we have a full and productive year ahead.